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Thera 2.4: Gangatiriya
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(124):Gangatiriya Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter II. Two Verses =124. Gangātīriya= Reborn in this Buddha-age at Sāvatthī as a citizen's son, he was named Datta.1 And when, in his domestic 113 life, he transgressed through ignorance, then discovered his offence, anguish seized him so that he left the world(for monkhood). Distressed at his deeds, he adopted a course of austerity, and lived on the bank of the Ganges, making himself a tent of palm-leaves. Hence he became known as Gangā-tīriya (Ganges-sider). And he resolved to speak to no one. So he kept silence for a whole year. In the second year, a woman of the village where he sought alms, wishing to find out whether he was dumb, spilt milk as she filled his bowl. And he let fall the words: 'Enough, sister.' But in the third year, after strenuous effort, he won arahantship(enlightenment). Upon that he declared aññā(supreme attainment) by word of mouth, expressing his past procedure in these verses: ---- 127 Tiṇṇaɱ me tālapattānaɱ gaŋgātīre kuṭī katā,|| Javasittova me patto paɱsukūlaɱ ca cīvaraɱ.|| || 128 Dvinnaɱ antaravassānaɱ ekā vācā me bhāsitā,|| Tatiye antaravassamhi tamokkhandho padālito.|| || ---- 127 On Ganga's shore three palm-tree leaves I took And made my hut; my bowl like funeral pot By which men sprinkle milk upon a corpse; My dress cut from refuse of the dust-heap .2 128 Two years, from one rain-season till the next, I abode, nor spoke a word except once. So till the third year passed-then the long night Of gloom asunder burst broke in light. ---- 1 = Donatus. His story-how he came to take his mother and his sister as his wives, not knowing his relation to either-is told in the Chronicle to the Sisters' Sayings(gatha), pp. 112, 115. The allusion here to his incest is so delicately or vaguely worded that it needs the explanation afforded by the Sister-chronicle. The Pali is as follows: Gharāvāsaɱ vasanto agamaniyaṭṭhānabhāvaɱ ajānitvā vītikkamaɱ katvā puna āgamaniyaṭṭhānabhāvaɱ ñatvā. 2 On such austerities, see Vinaya Texts, iii. 89. The bowl here is not a skull (chavasīsaɱ, but is described in the Commentary as matānaɱ khirāsecanakuṇḍa sadiso, 'like a milk-sprinkling pot for the dead' - a sort of memento mori (cf. Neumann). It is just possible that the text was originally chavasīsena me patto, aa the idiom runs in the Vinaya, but such skull-bowls were forbidden. There is greater soberness and dignity in the austerities of this Indian oedipus than in the brutal self-mutilation of the Greek king. ---- =2.1-4 124 Commentary on the stanza of Gaṅgātīriyatthera= The stanza starting with Tinnaṃ me tālapattānaṃ constitutes that of the venerable Thera Gaṅgārīriya. What is the origin? It is said that this one was reborn in a family home at the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara. On having attained the age of intelligence, he became piously pleased with the dispensation, and made an offering of drinking water to the Clergy of monks. On account of that act of merit, he sprang up in the divine world, did meritorious deeds now and then, wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and was reborn as the son of a certain wealthy house-lord in Sāvatthi when this Buddha arose. His name was “Datta.” On having come of age, he was leading his household life, when, not knowing the condition of the place not to be gone to (agamaniyaṭṭhanabhāvaṃ), committed transgression (vitikkhama), later, came to know the state of being the place not to be gone to, got remorseful, became a monk, got disgusted with that deed, followed the proper practice of shabbiness (lūkhapaṭipattiṃ anutiṭṭhanto), took hold of a robe of rags from dust heap (paṃsukūla), as well as an earthen bowl resembling a water-pot (chavasitta), built a cottage (kuṭika) with three palm leaves on the bank of the river Gaṅgā and dwelt there; on that account his appelation became Gaṅgātiriya. He made resolution in his mind that he would not have any conversation with any one before he attained Arahantship and dewlt without even making any break of the vow of speech by being silent for the first year. In the second year, he uttered such words as: “Alaṃ bhagini (enough sister),” when milk was poured down in spite of his making motion of hand (hatthavikāra) by a certain lady in the village where he wandered about for alms-food (gocaragāma), who was sprinkling milk into his bowl, being desirous of finding out whether he was dumb of not. In the third year, however, making his self-application (ghaṭayanto) and exertion, he attained Arahantship. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:–- “Pleasingly pious-minded, and delighted, I filled the jar with drinking water for the unsurpassed clergy of monks of Buddha Padumuttara. Whether on hill-top or tree- top, either in the sky or on the ground, whenever I desire drinking water, it comes into being for me. It was a hundred thousand aeons ago, that I then gave my offering; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of water-offering. My depravity had been burnt. :P; Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, become an Arahant, he spoke two stanzas in order to reveal his Arahantship (aññā), in the face of making clear (ubhāvanamukhena), his own proper practice (paṭinatti) previously. 127. “Of three palm leaves, a hut had been made by me; my bowl resembled a water-pot and my robe was of rags from rubbish heap (paṃsukūla). 128. Within two years (vassa) one word (only) was spoken by me; inside the third year (my) mass of darkness was dispelled (padālito). There, tinnaṃ me tālapattānaṃ Gaṅgātīre kuṭi katā means: with three palm leaves which had fallen from the palm tree a hut was built on the bank of the river Ganges for the purpose of protecting (pariharana) my from rain (vassana). By means of that, he shows his own contentment with regard residence (senāsana). Indeed it had been said by the Commander-in-chief of faith (dhamma) thus:– “It does not rain down on the knee of one who has himself seated cross- legged. To a monk whose own mind is directed (towards nibbāna) there is no need (alaṃ) for a comfortable (phāsu) life (vihāra). There is such a reading as “ Tāḷapattīnaṃ,” also; the meaning is but that. Chavasitto va me patto means: my begging bowl resembles a water-pot; similar to a pail (kunḍa) for sprinkling (secana) milk of the dead; thus, is the meaning. Paṃsukūlañ ca cīvaraṃ means: my robe also was made of rags (mantaka) cast away in such sites as on the road, cemetry, and so on, known as reg-raiment (paṃsukūla). He shows his contentment regrading requisites (parikkhāra) my means of the two words. Dvinnaṃ antaravāssānaṃ means: during two years; in th eyears when he had not yet attained Arahantship after he had become a monk. Ekāvācā me bhāsitā means: a word comprising: “Alaṃ bhaginī (Enough sister!) which constitutes apt rejection (paṭikkhepa) of milk, was but spoken by me; there, was there no other breaking of the ‘vow of silence’ (vacībhedo); by that he shows his excellent control of body and speech which had reached its exalted position. Tatiye antaravassamhi means: well-inside the third year; even when that year was not yet completely full. Tamokhandho padālito means: the mass of darkness had been broken up by means of the foremost path (magga); the bias (anusaya) of ignotance (avijjā) had been well cut off totally; thus, is the meaning. By that he speaks of his total abandonment of all forms of depravity (kilesa) by means of his state of that staying singly (ekaṭṭhatā). The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Gaṅgātīriya is complete. ----